ADDENDUM
My brother Caleb now has comments enabled. Drop by.
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
WEDDINGS AND TANKS
Two things.
1) My brother Caleb, currently soldiering in Iraq, just started a blog. He named it Tankers Anonymous. It's funny. It's my brother's. It's a very good thing. Drop by and see him...he gets to leave the Middle East in March or April and is trying to kill time, as he's bored a lot. So hopefully he'll post fairly frequently. I'll drop him an email at some point so he can install a comments system. That'll be even more fun. Do check it out.
2) I'm getting married on Sunday. Therefore, I'm apparently having a bachelor party thrown for me on Friday, that evening (around 6 or 7), at the Beat (187 N. West St.) in Hillsdale, MI. Anyone who reads my blog and likes me (or even not) is welcome to attend, if they can make it out there. Seraphim is supposed to be the one with more information about what is planned, but he seems to be out of touch again blog-wise. Hopefully he'll come back soon with some more info. If not, just show up. It'll be fun whatever happens.
3) Silliman, I'll call you about when my flight gets in. I can still count on you for pickup, right?
That's it for tonight. Things are busy around here. We're moving stuff into the apartment, are almost done, Elisabeth's already living there, I'm in a guest room in the dorm sleeping on the floor, and it's high time we get married. Expect a long absence from the blog next week...I will be away from my computer and don't intend to seek out another one. Hopefully I'll post before we leave on Friday, but if not, I wish everyone a merry and blessed Christmas.
Two things.
1) My brother Caleb, currently soldiering in Iraq, just started a blog. He named it Tankers Anonymous. It's funny. It's my brother's. It's a very good thing. Drop by and see him...he gets to leave the Middle East in March or April and is trying to kill time, as he's bored a lot. So hopefully he'll post fairly frequently. I'll drop him an email at some point so he can install a comments system. That'll be even more fun. Do check it out.
2) I'm getting married on Sunday. Therefore, I'm apparently having a bachelor party thrown for me on Friday, that evening (around 6 or 7), at the Beat (187 N. West St.) in Hillsdale, MI. Anyone who reads my blog and likes me (or even not) is welcome to attend, if they can make it out there. Seraphim is supposed to be the one with more information about what is planned, but he seems to be out of touch again blog-wise. Hopefully he'll come back soon with some more info. If not, just show up. It'll be fun whatever happens.
3) Silliman, I'll call you about when my flight gets in. I can still count on you for pickup, right?
That's it for tonight. Things are busy around here. We're moving stuff into the apartment, are almost done, Elisabeth's already living there, I'm in a guest room in the dorm sleeping on the floor, and it's high time we get married. Expect a long absence from the blog next week...I will be away from my computer and don't intend to seek out another one. Hopefully I'll post before we leave on Friday, but if not, I wish everyone a merry and blessed Christmas.
Sunday, December 21, 2003
ADDENDUM, LONG NEGLECTED
I should add that my brother Timothy has started a blog (at my suggestion). Those who know my writing as it was before I went to Hillsdale will be amazed at the stylistic family resemblance. Bravo to Tim for blogging, keep it up, etc...glad to have you around.
I should add that my brother Timothy has started a blog (at my suggestion). Those who know my writing as it was before I went to Hillsdale will be amazed at the stylistic family resemblance. Bravo to Tim for blogging, keep it up, etc...glad to have you around.
THEY ARE ALL DEAD, SIRE...
At first I thought it must be finals, but not everyone has that excuse. Then I thought it must be travel after finals or before Christmas, but the people who were traveling are home now. Perhaps everyone has simply written their brains out and there's nothing left to go onto the keyboard but a few random splatters of gray matter. Even Silliman is gone, afk for days and days in an ironic celebration of blogging, travelling countless miles to see a Straussian Jerub-Baal. He at least is still posting--but only once a day.
Doc Ock is also still active, crying insanity at world healthcare.
But Metzger is dead, sucked into the whirling vortex of lies, deceit and titillating advertisements that is modern television--the Blue Knight did not go quietly, but, laid flat upon his back by a crippling wound thereto, has gone into that dark night.
Seraphim has been reduced to posting excerpts from papers he did not to write. We sat and procrastinated and commisserated and complained together before finally spewing out tripe and claiming the completion of mediocrity.
Hugger has left us with a submissive farewell, running headlong into the arms of the Holy Father of Rome.
~Gauche is presumably enjoying a cold one in hell--I wonder if there's some way to list him on his own list of hibernatory bloggers (and to simultaneously remove myself).
Caitlin has posted nothing for weeks--leaving nearly defunct one of the more consistently soothing blogs in the 'sphere.
Bethany is with Silliman, enjoying a last journey before departing to do the Lord's work in Darkest Africa.
Talcott has left us to be entertained by a flexible fork after promising to dethrone the Pope--we are not impressed, but wish him a blessed Nativity nonetheless.
The Wiley Woodsman is as quiet as ever lately, spending his time in contemplation of his approaching nuptials, perhaps meditating on Love and the great four-poster of the Unsentimental Sentiment.
Master Golding's unflappability has been flapped by the great monster of Law School (and it's evil sidekick Torts, whatever that be)--we are left with allusions to unending and unbearable songs from the Master of Mice and Men. Where now the gun and the lockpick? Where is the homebrew that was flowing?
The Man without the Blonde 'Fro is locked in an epic battle with Mac 'ware, both hard and soft--and none may tell the outcome of their struggle. 'Cause he's not posting.
Stack is, presumably, still counting days until my wedding--but she hasn't notified anyone about it, and her blog lies quiet as she laughs about cynical editors afk in Canada
The Love of Her Life has been eaten by cockroaches in vengeance for the prematurely squashed life of Cheeko. I wonder what they did with his new pink velour pants.
Da Konz is still listening to Bob Dylan, still writing sonnets, still tell stories about the Highlands. Actually he's at home, getting ready to come to my wedding--I accidentally hung up on him last night when my cell phone battery went dead. Sorry 'bout that, buddy. Call me back and we'll finish the conversation.
And me...well, I have nothing much to say, or don't want to take the time to make myself think, being tired of typing after the 60 pages of writing I finished last week--so I'm resorting to making fun of everyone else for not posting, just to avoid being consigned to Prizio's Cold Place in Hell, where I already am despite my frequent posting of late, and where he can't consign me because he's there himself.
So, to sum up, we are all dead.
At first I thought it must be finals, but not everyone has that excuse. Then I thought it must be travel after finals or before Christmas, but the people who were traveling are home now. Perhaps everyone has simply written their brains out and there's nothing left to go onto the keyboard but a few random splatters of gray matter. Even Silliman is gone, afk for days and days in an ironic celebration of blogging, travelling countless miles to see a Straussian Jerub-Baal. He at least is still posting--but only once a day.
Doc Ock is also still active, crying insanity at world healthcare.
But Metzger is dead, sucked into the whirling vortex of lies, deceit and titillating advertisements that is modern television--the Blue Knight did not go quietly, but, laid flat upon his back by a crippling wound thereto, has gone into that dark night.
Seraphim has been reduced to posting excerpts from papers he did not to write. We sat and procrastinated and commisserated and complained together before finally spewing out tripe and claiming the completion of mediocrity.
Hugger has left us with a submissive farewell, running headlong into the arms of the Holy Father of Rome.
~Gauche is presumably enjoying a cold one in hell--I wonder if there's some way to list him on his own list of hibernatory bloggers (and to simultaneously remove myself).
Caitlin has posted nothing for weeks--leaving nearly defunct one of the more consistently soothing blogs in the 'sphere.
Bethany is with Silliman, enjoying a last journey before departing to do the Lord's work in Darkest Africa.
Talcott has left us to be entertained by a flexible fork after promising to dethrone the Pope--we are not impressed, but wish him a blessed Nativity nonetheless.
The Wiley Woodsman is as quiet as ever lately, spending his time in contemplation of his approaching nuptials, perhaps meditating on Love and the great four-poster of the Unsentimental Sentiment.
Master Golding's unflappability has been flapped by the great monster of Law School (and it's evil sidekick Torts, whatever that be)--we are left with allusions to unending and unbearable songs from the Master of Mice and Men. Where now the gun and the lockpick? Where is the homebrew that was flowing?
The Man without the Blonde 'Fro is locked in an epic battle with Mac 'ware, both hard and soft--and none may tell the outcome of their struggle. 'Cause he's not posting.
Stack is, presumably, still counting days until my wedding--but she hasn't notified anyone about it, and her blog lies quiet as she laughs about cynical editors afk in Canada
The Love of Her Life has been eaten by cockroaches in vengeance for the prematurely squashed life of Cheeko. I wonder what they did with his new pink velour pants.
Da Konz is still listening to Bob Dylan, still writing sonnets, still tell stories about the Highlands. Actually he's at home, getting ready to come to my wedding--I accidentally hung up on him last night when my cell phone battery went dead. Sorry 'bout that, buddy. Call me back and we'll finish the conversation.
And me...well, I have nothing much to say, or don't want to take the time to make myself think, being tired of typing after the 60 pages of writing I finished last week--so I'm resorting to making fun of everyone else for not posting, just to avoid being consigned to Prizio's Cold Place in Hell, where I already am despite my frequent posting of late, and where he can't consign me because he's there himself.
So, to sum up, we are all dead.
Friday, December 19, 2003
HE'S BIG, I'M LITTLE...
David Talcott has joined the mob, taking up his blogging sling against the Goliath of the Catholic Church. I look forward to seeing more of what he writes--go check him out.
David Talcott has joined the mob, taking up his blogging sling against the Goliath of the Catholic Church. I look forward to seeing more of what he writes--go check him out.
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
GAINFULLY ENGAGED
This is a nice article--the best part is this little story: "After his first day of kindergarten, Orville Wright skipped school every morning for a month. Instead, he and a friend would hide in a barn three houses away to take apart and re-assemble a sewing machine.
When his teacher told young Orville's parents that he hadn't been to school, they didn't punish him. 'They felt he was gainfully engaged,' Hudec recalled. It was the start of a lifelong love of tinkering."
I love it!
This is a nice article--the best part is this little story: "After his first day of kindergarten, Orville Wright skipped school every morning for a month. Instead, he and a friend would hide in a barn three houses away to take apart and re-assemble a sewing machine.
When his teacher told young Orville's parents that he hadn't been to school, they didn't punish him. 'They felt he was gainfully engaged,' Hudec recalled. It was the start of a lifelong love of tinkering."
I love it!
MIDNIGHT SURPRISES
In other newsHugger has decided to convert to Roman Catholicism. I am surprised. I was not expecting that. Admittedly I am out of the loop, but I am still surprised.
Insofar as I can, however, I congratulate him on his decision. It is a good thing to submit.
In other newsHugger has decided to convert to Roman Catholicism. I am surprised. I was not expecting that. Admittedly I am out of the loop, but I am still surprised.
Insofar as I can, however, I congratulate him on his decision. It is a good thing to submit.
FROM THE PAPER MILL
So I was Googling for info for my paper and found this nice link. It has a bombastic style, but it's kinda fun, and I like the part about learning more languages. :)
So I was Googling for info for my paper and found this nice link. It has a bombastic style, but it's kinda fun, and I like the part about learning more languages. :)
Friday, December 12, 2003
FASCINATING
Check this out. Iran's Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi has a blog! I think this is cool. ;)
I don't know much about Iran. I don't really know much about Islam in general. I should fix that sometime.
Check this out. Iran's Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi has a blog! I think this is cool. ;)
I don't know much about Iran. I don't really know much about Islam in general. I should fix that sometime.
TRANSFORMATION
Sometimes I encounter a simple phrase, an incidental aside buried in another argument, and realize that I have just changed my mind about something terribly important.
I love it when that happens. It just did.
I now oppose the death penalty. Why? I just read this in a comment of Prizio's:
"(I oppose the death penalty, for example, in favor of life imprisonment, for specifically and exclusively Christian reasons: I want to give each soul as long as possible to come to know Christ and be redeemed.)"
What can I say? He's right. I don't know how I missed it before. Our God has given us great mercy. How can we refuse to mete out the same? Most especially when the salvation of a human soul is on the line.
Sometimes I encounter a simple phrase, an incidental aside buried in another argument, and realize that I have just changed my mind about something terribly important.
I love it when that happens. It just did.
I now oppose the death penalty. Why? I just read this in a comment of Prizio's:
"(I oppose the death penalty, for example, in favor of life imprisonment, for specifically and exclusively Christian reasons: I want to give each soul as long as possible to come to know Christ and be redeemed.)"
What can I say? He's right. I don't know how I missed it before. Our God has given us great mercy. How can we refuse to mete out the same? Most especially when the salvation of a human soul is on the line.
NATURE AND GRACE
Here is a quote absolutely packed with implications. I suspect it holds the key to many of my musings of late. From the Triads of St. Gregory Palamas.
"Just as in legal marriage, the pleasure derived from procreation cannot exactly be called a gift of God, because it is carnal and constitutes a gift of nature and not of grace (even though that nature has been created by God); even so the knowledge that comes from profane education, even if well used, is a gift of nature, and not of grace--a gift which God accords to all without exception through nature, and which one can develop by exercise. This last point--that no one acquires it without effort and exercise--is an evident proof that it is a question of a natural, not a spiritual, gift."
More on precisely what I think those implications are later.
Here is a quote absolutely packed with implications. I suspect it holds the key to many of my musings of late. From the Triads of St. Gregory Palamas.
"Just as in legal marriage, the pleasure derived from procreation cannot exactly be called a gift of God, because it is carnal and constitutes a gift of nature and not of grace (even though that nature has been created by God); even so the knowledge that comes from profane education, even if well used, is a gift of nature, and not of grace--a gift which God accords to all without exception through nature, and which one can develop by exercise. This last point--that no one acquires it without effort and exercise--is an evident proof that it is a question of a natural, not a spiritual, gift."
More on precisely what I think those implications are later.
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
GOING TO THE CHAPEL
Right...so I'm about to go up to the Chapel here at Holy Cross for Vespers. Moreover, in two and a half weeks I'm going to the chapel in the sense meant by the old song. With which fact I am richly blessed. But what I really mean to do here is weigh in on this whole gay marriage thing.
My thinking is very under-developed on this at the moment. There are a number of different "arenas" that meet and conflict on this issue. My libertarian, live-and-let-live instinct says that the homosexual desire to gain the legal benefits that come from marriage (if that's what drives them) is legitimate--that is to say, I can even see a place for permitting two people who are NOT practicing homosexuality to contract together to hold property in common, be taxed together, etc. Such relationships are rare (I don't think I've ever even heard of it, come to think of it), but theoretically possible. At any rate--I'm inclined to be willing to grant that if someone wants it--I just don't want to hear about what they do behind closed doors. That's between them and God.
Now--calling that union or contract or whatever "marriage" is a completely different issue. However...there are many marriages today which are little more than legalized fornication. To Yoda-ize the issue: "Having-sex-and-holding-common-property-do-not-a-true-marriage-make." A true marriage is a spiritual, emotional, psychological AND physical union between two people, found only in a simultaneous spiritual, emotionial, psychological AND physical union with God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The state cannot make such marriages. To call a homosexual union a marriage in this sense is, to me, nonsensical. I know full well that such people as Metzger disagree with me. I'd love to talk more about that, but suffice to say, Christian marriage in my opinion is limited to a man and a woman. There may be holy relationships (non-sexual) between members of the same sex, but they are not marriages. IMHO, of course. And in the opinion of the Church to which I submit. So I can't really negotiate this. Even if I wanted to. Which I don't. Anyway...
In the modern day, this true marriage and the contractual idea of marriage are conflated. Example--I had a friend who cohabited with his girlfriend for several months. (for various reasons, I do not condemn him--primarily because that's not my place, but also because he and she did what they did in good conscience. That in case he reads this--I don't want him to think I condemn him for this--'cause I don't. Anyway...) His family (and hers, I presume) went ballistic. All was made right with them, however, when they had a little ceremony performed by a JP. This is silly to me. The state grants to a clergyman the function of the magistrate in matters of matrimony--the Church does not grant the function of the priesthood to the magistrates. Nor should it.
But I have to go now, so I'll wrap this up, and hone the ideas further later. I don't like the idea of gay marriage being legalized, but if it is, I'm not going to lose much sleep over it. I already distinguish between legal marriage and Christian marriage. The faithful Christian churches throughout America will have to make the same distinction, clearly and forthrightly, to their people and to the public. The Orthodox Church already does anyway. It will just have to clarify once again to make sure people understand.
Christianity was born in a hostile, non-Christian environment. I wouldn't say that I welcome the current process of return to that state of affairs, but neither do I fear it. It'll probably be good for us.
'Nuff said--I'm off to chapel. Hopefully this will foster some discussion. As I said above, I'm not certain about much of this--just musing.
Right...so I'm about to go up to the Chapel here at Holy Cross for Vespers. Moreover, in two and a half weeks I'm going to the chapel in the sense meant by the old song. With which fact I am richly blessed. But what I really mean to do here is weigh in on this whole gay marriage thing.
My thinking is very under-developed on this at the moment. There are a number of different "arenas" that meet and conflict on this issue. My libertarian, live-and-let-live instinct says that the homosexual desire to gain the legal benefits that come from marriage (if that's what drives them) is legitimate--that is to say, I can even see a place for permitting two people who are NOT practicing homosexuality to contract together to hold property in common, be taxed together, etc. Such relationships are rare (I don't think I've ever even heard of it, come to think of it), but theoretically possible. At any rate--I'm inclined to be willing to grant that if someone wants it--I just don't want to hear about what they do behind closed doors. That's between them and God.
Now--calling that union or contract or whatever "marriage" is a completely different issue. However...there are many marriages today which are little more than legalized fornication. To Yoda-ize the issue: "Having-sex-and-holding-common-property-do-not-a-true-marriage-make." A true marriage is a spiritual, emotional, psychological AND physical union between two people, found only in a simultaneous spiritual, emotionial, psychological AND physical union with God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The state cannot make such marriages. To call a homosexual union a marriage in this sense is, to me, nonsensical. I know full well that such people as Metzger disagree with me. I'd love to talk more about that, but suffice to say, Christian marriage in my opinion is limited to a man and a woman. There may be holy relationships (non-sexual) between members of the same sex, but they are not marriages. IMHO, of course. And in the opinion of the Church to which I submit. So I can't really negotiate this. Even if I wanted to. Which I don't. Anyway...
In the modern day, this true marriage and the contractual idea of marriage are conflated. Example--I had a friend who cohabited with his girlfriend for several months. (for various reasons, I do not condemn him--primarily because that's not my place, but also because he and she did what they did in good conscience. That in case he reads this--I don't want him to think I condemn him for this--'cause I don't. Anyway...) His family (and hers, I presume) went ballistic. All was made right with them, however, when they had a little ceremony performed by a JP. This is silly to me. The state grants to a clergyman the function of the magistrate in matters of matrimony--the Church does not grant the function of the priesthood to the magistrates. Nor should it.
But I have to go now, so I'll wrap this up, and hone the ideas further later. I don't like the idea of gay marriage being legalized, but if it is, I'm not going to lose much sleep over it. I already distinguish between legal marriage and Christian marriage. The faithful Christian churches throughout America will have to make the same distinction, clearly and forthrightly, to their people and to the public. The Orthodox Church already does anyway. It will just have to clarify once again to make sure people understand.
Christianity was born in a hostile, non-Christian environment. I wouldn't say that I welcome the current process of return to that state of affairs, but neither do I fear it. It'll probably be good for us.
'Nuff said--I'm off to chapel. Hopefully this will foster some discussion. As I said above, I'm not certain about much of this--just musing.
Monday, December 08, 2003
CIRCLES OF HELL
It's been too long since I've read/thought about Dante. So long, in fact, that I've forgotten how many circles of hell he has. However many it is, he missed one. There is a circle reserved for lazy bloggers--a circle in which I very often reside. But this time I realized where I was and took notes. This time I can describe the deepest circle of hell, the torture-chamber of the lapsed blogger.
It's called O'Hare International Airport, and it lives in Chicago. It sucks in the unsuspecting blogger and traps him far from internet access in a barren wasteland, where the only rest is fitful and the dreams are punctuated with a repetition ad nauseum of one damnatory formula.
"Welcome to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. For reasons of safety and for the sake of your health, we'd like to remind you that this is a non-smoking facility. The circle around the first concourse is also non-smoking. There are smoking areas in the circle around the second concourse. You may suck your nicotine while your posterior freezes there if you so desire."
Those were strange dreams. And I don't even smoke.
It's been too long since I've read/thought about Dante. So long, in fact, that I've forgotten how many circles of hell he has. However many it is, he missed one. There is a circle reserved for lazy bloggers--a circle in which I very often reside. But this time I realized where I was and took notes. This time I can describe the deepest circle of hell, the torture-chamber of the lapsed blogger.
It's called O'Hare International Airport, and it lives in Chicago. It sucks in the unsuspecting blogger and traps him far from internet access in a barren wasteland, where the only rest is fitful and the dreams are punctuated with a repetition ad nauseum of one damnatory formula.
"Welcome to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. For reasons of safety and for the sake of your health, we'd like to remind you that this is a non-smoking facility. The circle around the first concourse is also non-smoking. There are smoking areas in the circle around the second concourse. You may suck your nicotine while your posterior freezes there if you so desire."
Those were strange dreams. And I don't even smoke.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Monday, December 01, 2003
HELLO DECEMBER
I'm tired.
Stupid Thanksgiving traffic.
Stupid New Jersey Turnpike.
Stupid New York City.
Stupid paper due tomorrow that I haven't started yet.
Stupid me.
In other news, I'm getting married in four weeks. Panic and joy are beginning to battle for my attention. I don't have time for either.
I'll be in Michigan getting the marriage license Thursday. I don't fly out until Sunday. Anyone who wants to meet up with me (I'd love to see anybody), email me (greekgugg@yahoo.com) or call me (260) 466-8013. Or leave a comment here.
Hasta.
I'm tired.
Stupid Thanksgiving traffic.
Stupid New Jersey Turnpike.
Stupid New York City.
Stupid paper due tomorrow that I haven't started yet.
Stupid me.
In other news, I'm getting married in four weeks. Panic and joy are beginning to battle for my attention. I don't have time for either.
I'll be in Michigan getting the marriage license Thursday. I don't fly out until Sunday. Anyone who wants to meet up with me (I'd love to see anybody), email me (greekgugg@yahoo.com) or call me (260) 466-8013. Or leave a comment here.
Hasta.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
